A localist rally in Mong Kok which some feared could have descended into violence had an anti-climactic ending on Friday night, with about 200 participants dispersing peacefully after watching China beat Hong Kong in a live broadcast of an Olympics badminton match.

The crowd, monitored by some 100 officers from the Police Tactical Unit, scattered after Hong Kong’s Chau Hoi-wah and Reginald Lee Chun-hei lost 0-2 to China’s Zhang Nan and Zhao Yunlei in the mixed doubles game.

Watch: hundreds view live screening of Olympic match

But given concerns that the localists’ call for supporters to cheer on the home team against the national squad could inflame anti-mainland sentiment, police had an additional 170 officers on standby in case chaos broke out at the site on Soy Street.

The same site was rocked by rioting in February involving members of Hong Kong Indigenous, one of the groups that organised the screening. That group advocates Hong Kong independence. It has had a member, Edward Leung Tin-kei, disqualified from the coming Legislative Council elections due to his political stance.

“Irrespective of whether we held this event or not, there have to be identity conflicts,” she said. “Many people really feel they are Hongkongers instead of Chinese and want to support the Hong Kong team.”

But Olympian Chau Hoi-wah did not share the sentiments of her supporters back home.

“We are friends of China and all the players and others around the world,” Chau said. “I don’t think people should politicise sport.”

Asked if she felt the rally organisers were using her for political gain, Choi said: “No, there’s nothing we can do about it. People are free to do what they want.”